Foxes and Roses
by Ranier
Summary: (YYH Crossover)There are some strangers in Konoha, and they have come for a certain demon. Romance, puberty, lots of hairspray, battle for the coolest, and handsome strangers. Oh, my.
1. Poor Misguided Wannabes

Author's Notes: First crossover, be kind, be gentle. Not really, you can bite if you want.

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or Naruto. Wish I do, though.

**Foxes and Roses**

Chaper One: Poor Misguided Wannabes

There were some strange people in the village that day, Naruto noticed. They didn't seem to be from around here, or anywhere. One was a tall man with a ridiculously styled reddish hair. Naruto could swear that his hair defied the laws of Mother Nature, hanging up front in a curl like that. He was talking in a low voice with another person. The other guy looked less unique, although the green stint in his dark hair proclaimed him also a fashion victim. He was shorter in stature and less muscular than his big friend, but Naruto knew better than to judge people from their appearances alone. Still...

_Poor misguided wannabes,_ Naruto shook his head.

He moved closer to those people, partly out of curiosity and partly out of caution. As a good shinobi Naruto could not dismiss the presence of strangers in the village as mere happenings, no matter how harmless (or silly) they looked.

They were here for a reason, he was certain of it. He just hoped that whatever it was, they were not here to open a barbershop. He didn't know any sensible shinobi who would appreciate having a lettuce or an overgrown carrot on top of their heads. It would make the surveillance mission much harder because the hair would be sticking out like a sore thumb.

And also because the rest of the shinobis would be laughing their asses off.

Upon closing the distance his eyes caught an image of a beautiful apparition, slightly hidden behind the other two, and he gasped. It was the kind of rare beauty that took one's breath away and got seared in the memory, forever. The first impression was lethal and Naruto was taken aback, speechless. His knees grew weak and he couldn't stop himself from sliding to the ground. He was surprised at the loss of strength in his legs, but what surprised him further was the blush that crept on his cheeks.

She was the most beautiful woman Naruto had ever seen his thirteen years of life. Not even his Sakura-chan was this stunning, granted she was still growing, but for the love of Kyuubi! The woman he was now seeing was gorgeous, even perfect. She had a lively red hair that would look incredulously messy in others, and yet on her it looked sensual. Naruto wondered how it must've felt to run his fingers through that thick mane, when he remembered that he had grimy hands and wiped them hesitantly on his jumpsuit. Konohamaru had been teaching him how to gut fish earlier that morning.

The woman looked at his direction, green eyes twinkling, and laughed. Naruto thought she was laughing at him for falling to the ground and he sobered instantly, embarrassed beyond words.

_She saw me fall. Damn._

Smelling like dead fish, Naruto lifted himself up_. I am pathetic_, he thought, _falling over a grown woman like that._ He turned away and decided to abort his mission of investigating the strangers.

A beauty like that could not be evil. No way. If he was lucky, maybe he would spot her again tomorrow, when he was smelling better and looking much less a fool. It was time to take the loathed bath. He had been avoiding the bath house for a week now, and it seemed that the smell was finally catching up with him.

Naruto broke out into a sprint to the nearest bath house. There was no time to waste! He was, after all, covered with a week's worth of dust and dirt.

Unbeknownst to him, the red hair watched him running, and a smile, not quite kind, slowly formed.

"He is our target."


	2. Even Dogs Have Names

Author's Note: Thanks to all the readers and reviewers! I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner (the internet _died _on me), but I promise to thank you guys personally. Unless, if you prefer it otherwise.

Disclaimer : Still wishing, still not granted. Still not mine.

**Foxes and Roses**

Chapter II: Even Dogs Have Names 

Haruno Sakura had never been at lost of words. Even as a baby she had developed a precocious tendency to chatter gibberish which later bloomed into an exceptional skill of speech. She used her talent well to get what she wanted most of the time (the only exceptions were when her hormones burst sky high and when Uzumaki Naruto was within ten mile radius–the latter strangely always led to a violent ending) and she could be really, really sweet and polite if she needed to. Excellent people skill, her mother prided.

Today, it seemed that her skill had left her dry. She had been coaxing, cajoling, persuading, and nagging a certain dark, handsome stranger to tell her his name. She had spotted him on top of a tree branch, lying there, resting. He had instantly captured her attention; black attire and wild-looking hair, and his eyes, oh, his glowing ruby eyes.

When she asked his name, he had refused to tell. The first time he did that she had been thrilled, not even remotely disappointed, because everybody knew that a cool guy always _refused _anything asked of him the first time. Then he did it twice, she was excited. He was super cool! Distant and cold, two traits she was obsessed with, and how he reminded her of the brooding Uchiha Sasuke, she had sighed dreamily.

But when he did that for the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth times, Sakura got a paralyzing suspicion that maybe he really wasn't trying to be cool.

"What's your name?" she asked again. _Fifteenth time is the charm, _Inner Sakura encouraged.

"Hn."

"Come on, you can tell me. I am not a bad person. I just wanna know your name," she said sweetly.

"Please? My name is Sakura, I told you before. What's yours?" _Sixteen. You go, girl!_

"Hn."

She sighed. "Of course you think that I'm a stranger and you're not supposed to talk to strangers, but you can see for yourself that I'm just trying to be friendly here."

_Friendly my ass_, the dark, handsome stranger thought. If it weren't for a certain kitsune telling him to behave, he would have made a charcoal out of this little pest of a girl. She had repeated the same question over and over again for the last half hour, and it didn't seem that she was going to stop anytime soon.

"Please, you can at least let me know your name," she pleaded again.

He opened his mouth and paused. Sakura's heart leapt with excitement, he was finally tired of being stubborn! She waited, and...

"... Hn."

She blinked. _That's it?_

The short, dark, and handsome stranger saw her confusion, felt slightly naughty and amused, but he was not prepared for the outburst that came shortly after.

"GODAMMIT, IT'S JUST A NAME!" Inner Sakura was out of the cage, "I BET EVEN STRAY DOGS HAVE NAMES!" then she punched the tree he was sitting on forcefully, and it shook. The stranger felt the release of energy and the vibration, and was immediately on alert. He leapt backwards and landed on the ground, but not before he saw the hole she had made on the trunks.

It was his turn to blink.

_The kitsune has some serious explaining to do,_ he grimly thought, and walked away.

Little did the stranger know that when Haruno Sakura stared at his retreating back, she had vowed that by the end of the week, she _would _know his name.


	3. The Other Demon

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. Life has its quirks, I tell ya. This fic is going to include a one-sided Naruto/Kurama relationship, and no, there won't be any slash. It just didn't occur to me when starting this one to have Kurama return Naruto's feelings, in fact I did not plan to put any pairings at all, but the possibility intrigues me. Maybe I will try making another fic where it's probable for Kurama to fall in love with our little genin. He is, after all, very lovable.

Disclaimer: YYH characters belong to Togashi Yoshihiro-san, and Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-san. I just play in the grey area of legality, that's all.

**Foxes and Roses**

Chapter III: The Other Demon

_It must be that time of the month,_ Uchiha Sasuke thought. He was observing, from a distance, a certain pink-haired kunoichi punching a training dummy repeatedly with passion. From the look of it, Kakashi-sensei would have to order a new dummy soon–its seams had been ripped by the force Sakura's small fist applied. _Wonder what upset her today,_ he continued his thoughts. Sasuke himself was busy practicing his _chakra _control, and with two feet firmly attached to the bark of a tree trunk, he watched his teammate upside down.

"Bastard! 'Hn' my ass!" she shouted at the defenseless dummy. Another kick, another punch. "I will show him, that cocky, little jerk!"

_Must be Naruto_, Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Thought you're so cool, eh?! Well, take this you----!!" she let out an expletive so foul Sasuke gasped, nearly losing his footing on the tree trunk, but he regained his balance quickly. Then he caught something odd amidst the shouting.

_Cool? Where did that come from?_

Sakura won't call Naruto 'cool', would she? No, no, no. Then..._who?_ It couldn't be him, because he had not talked to her–well, thinking about it, it was because she had not approached him--today. Wait, she didn't even look at him!

Suddenly a realization dawned, followed by a horrible cold shudder that went through his spine. Sasuke went pale.

There was someone else! Someone so much cooler than Sasuke even Sakura (ringleader of his fabulous fanclub since third grade) had forgotten all about him!

He dropped with a thud from the tree. Flinching, and cursing inwardly, he lifted himself up from the ground. His somber mood grew darker. For the first time in his life, Uchiha Sasuke felt the strange strain of competition. He had worked hard all his life to reach his trademark sophisticated coolness that kept all girls (and some guys) in awe. His cold disposition, his loathing of long speech, and his rare smiles were his traits. Even Hyuuga Neji had none of his distinguished charm, being cursed with pale complexion and white eyes. To be intimidating and ultra-cool, one must _absolutely_ have jet black hair and onyx-like eyes, in his opinion. Just like him. And until yesterday, Sasuke was in his own league of excellence.

But, but! Today everything had changed. Sasuke had to know who his rival was and exceed him, otherwise he would not be the coolest thing Konoha had ever seen. He grumbled. It seemed that he had to ask Sakura about this other person, but doing so would tarnish his perfect record of always being asked first. Sasuke sighed. His scowl deepened and he made up his mind. _A small sacrifice, _he thought, _to win the battle._

He continued observing Sakura, trying to find the right time to ask her. Sasuke had to admit when she was angry, her taijutsu skill became much better. Then he felt his jaw drop when she brought together an enormous amount of _chakra_ in one fist, and with one final hit, burst the dummy open with a loud bang. Dry hays flew out, slowly floating in the air, finding their ways to the ground. The ragged, empty doll fell in tatters.

_What the hell just happened?_

Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. That wasn't the Sakura he knew! Without realizing it, he had taken a step backward. Then to his confusion, a smile grew on her face. It got bigger until she was practically snarling.

"Um, Sakura?" he tried his luck. It didn't seem right to see that hideous grin on her pretty face.

"WHAT?! Oh, Sasuke-kun...I thought..." she stammered when she realized it was him. Then she blinked. Sasuke-kun was talking to her! For the first time!

Seeing the shock in her face, Sasuke knew that she would never let him hear the end of it. Trying to distract her, he asked "Who were you shouting at?"

"You heard _that_?" she whispered in dismay.

"Yes. Who was he?" he asked impatiently.

"Nobody, it was just a guy I met earlier today. He was an arrogant jerk, I asked his name and he didn't even answer me."

"How does he look like?"

She blushed furiously. Sasuke felt a cold sweat of dread forming on his forehead.

"Oh, he was...cute, y'know, spiky black hair and red eyes," she stopped there for a moment, and continued, "but those muscles, oh my…." Seeing how it was not possible that one could get redder than she already was, Sasuke was quite impressed when the shade of her face turned sickly purple.

But Sakura's well-being was not his priority at the moment. No sirree, Uchiha Sasuke had more pressing matters at hand.

_Hair as black as the night? Menacing ruby eyes? Muscles to die for? Sheer aura of charisma? Height of a warrior? _(By now you should know that Sasuke had a tendency to be a drama queen. Not that it's obvious, obviously.) _Existence that shakes the heavens?_

For Hokage's sake! He's doomed forever! Who could beat _those_?

It looked like he was in for a very, very disturbing week. Sasuke pouted, ignoring the little lines that had formed around his mouth. For once, he didn't care. He would be the coolest, dammit!

And he vowed, by the end of this week he would be so darn cool that the stranger himself should acknowledge defeat, no matter who he was. Or die trying.

- - - - - -

To be continued

A/N: It would be prudent to thank all the reviewers for being generous with their thoughts and opinions. Thank you guys, reviews are the stuffs we poor writers thrive upon and one knows how valuable they are!


	4. Demons of the Past and Present

Author's Note: I repeat, there will be no slash in this story. That doesn't mean that I won't write one.

**Foxes and Roses**

Chapter Four: Demons of the Past and Present

Urameshi Yuusuke sighed. He was very, _very_ bored. His toddler-boss had managed to pull his mischief again, sending the Reikai Tanteis on a wild-goose chase for a demon in an unknown village of an unknown 'plane of reality' (a phrase Kurama had patiently tried to explain to him—though Yuusuke still had not an inkling of clue what the mission had to do with flying). All he could see in this stinking village were weird-looking people with costumes. Some of them wore vests-like uniforms and lots of bandages around their limbs (_But they looked alright!_ Yuusuke's brain protested), and most of them carried weapons, either hidden or exposed.

"This is no mere village," Kuwabara spoke, his voice had dropped to a conspiratorial low.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, lunkhead," Yuusuke growled, even though he didn't really mean to. His stomach had been making funny noises since they arrived, which was a mere three hours ago. This had not improved his mood, only worsened it. _Lunch, we should have lunch!_ Yuusuke's abdomen cried. Another growl.

He patted his middle area. "Hush."

"You said something, Urameshi?" Kuwabara looked at him, confused.

"No."

"You hungry?

"No."

"Great, me too!" he boomed.

Yuusuke looked at him and wondered at the inner workings of Kuwabara's brain. His friend/comrade/occasional punch-bag was generally quite slow on the uptake, but sometimes he compensated this weakness with rare accurate insights into things people tend to ignore. For example, Yuusuke's metabolism. The Boy-Who-Died-and-Lived-Again pondered this for a while, before finally reaching a conclusion.

_Nah, Kuwabara is just thick_.

"Do you think they have a restaurant around here, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked, while glancing from side to side, looking for signs of food.

"I dunno, Koenma didn't exactly tell us anything, did he? And keep your voice down. We don't want to attract attenti..."

"Ooooh! Look over there, a ramen house!" Kuwabara hollered, "let's go, Urameshi! The last one to arrive is a rotten egg!" The tall youth had already made a beeline towards the sign that said 'Ichiraku'.

Yuusuke sighed. With one hand he caught Kuwabara's collar and dragged him back.

"Idiot! Don't you know that we're being watched?!" Yuusuke almost shouted but then he remembered to whisper.

"Huh? I don't sense a thing," Kuwabara said.

"Don't turn, but he's behind you. The little blond boy, with the orange jumpsuit. He's been watching us for quite some time."

"Oh, him. He's harmless. He has no evil intention at all," Kuwabara the Psychic explained.

From behind the two teenagers came a smooth voice, "Are you sure, Kuwabara-kun?"

"Kurama!" Both turned to face the red-head beauty. He had been so silent they had forgotten he was there. They watched as their lithe friend flick his long tresses with grace.

_Man, he looks good even without trying_, Yuusuke thought.

"Don't you feel something strange from that boy?" the soft alto asked again.

Kuwabara frowned, his face grew into a serious mask. Yuusuke knew that he was concentrating his psychic ability to detect any presence of supernatural activities. Lately, Kuwabara had gotten much better at controlling his power; he could sense a creature from Makai from miles away if he wanted to.

"A seal," he suddenly said, breaking the transient silence.

"Yes, Kuwabara-kun. A powerful, intricate seal," Kurama confirmed.

"What is sealed? Something inside the boy?" Yuusuke asked. He didn't want to be left out of the conversation.

Kurama touched his sleeve and lifted a finger, "Hold that thought for a moment, Yuusuke-kun. Let Kuwabara-kun tell us."

"I might have to physically touch him, Kurama," Kuwabara said.

"Can you not simply extend your reach?"

"I'll try, but it may have an impact on the runt."

"He'll be fine," Kurama assured.

Yuusuke watched, befuddled, as Kuwabara focused on a single blow of mental power directed at the boy, who immediately dropped to the ground. Under the sun, the boy's face was red. Yuusuke was impressed, he had never seen such shade before, and worried, for the boy's well-being.

Then Kurama sent his dazzling smile to the boy, his green eyes twinkling. He opened his mouth to laugh sweetly, but only those who truly knew him could hear that hint of malice behind that soft laughter. That very second, Yuusuke realized it. Kurama knew something he wasn't telling them. But before he could confront the red-head, he heard Kuwabara gasped.

"Oh my god! Can it be...?!"

"What is it?"

"The boy...he, no...it. It! It was a demon!" he shrieked.

"That's right, Kuwabara-kun," said Kurama, still watching the little boy, who was now lifting himself up from the ground.

"You knew," Yuusuke said accusingly.

The owner of those emerald eyes didn't say anything, he didn't even blink. His sight continued to follow the running figure of the little boy. Then once again, he smiled, but it was a very different smile. Yuusuke felt cold shivers down his spine when he looked at his friend, and one thought came to his mind.

_I forgot that he was once a demon himself._

"Kurama..." Yuusuke started, before being cut off sternly.

"He is our target."

- - - - - -

To be continued.

Author's Note: Quite dark, eh? The next chapter will be much merrier, I promise. I thank the reviewers for giving me quite a laugh when reading the reviews. I would not recommend reading chapter three while drinking or eating. It's just...hazardous.


	5. Naruto, the Gentleman in Training

Author's Notes: You asked for longer chapters, here it is. Sorry for the delay in update. You've read my open letter, haven't you?

**Foxes and Roses**

Chapter Five: Naruto, the Gentleman-in-Training

The next day came peacefully without any incident. The sun had just risen for an hour when one blond Genin decided to visit the bathhouse. He carried a bucket filled with bottles of shampoo, soap, lotion, and cologne, all courtesy of Maito Gai, the village's number one unofficial supporter of metro-sexuality.

The bowl-haired Jounin was close to tears when Naruto asked for his advice on which brand of shampoo he should use. You see, Naruto had _no_ idea what type of hair he had. It took both Gai-sensei and Rock Lee to convince him that his spiky hair needed more than just a quick wash to truly shine. They both heartily recommended PanteNin Shampoo for Dry Hair, guaranteed to show results in three days.

In Naruto's right hand was a crumpled list of instructions. It was a _very_ important list, considering that everything a twelve-year old boy would want to know about the opposite sex was listed there. Since Naruto had no father, he had to make do with advices from various adult male figures in his life.

The day before, ero-sennin had gladly supplied answers to Naruto's questions on how to nail a girl. He had even drawn a diagram of female anatomy, focusing on vital points he deemed essential, before one furious Iruka-sensei snatched it from his hands. Later Naruto was subjected to a very nervous talk with the kind-hearted Chuunin sensei who stammered and blushed frequently from time to time. The only thing that Naruto understood from that conversation was that he had to use protection (for what he didn't understand, but hey, he'd take what he could get).

When he had asked Kakashi-sensei about girls, the Copy Nin only lifted one fine eyebrow before handing him a book, titled 'Icha Icha Guide for Young Loves', and telling him to read it thoroughly. "The best thing," he had said, "since explosive tags." Naruto took the book with dubious feelings.

Dissatisfied, he went to the Third Hokage. The wizened leader took a quick look at Naruto's list and added some more points of his own. After he was done, the Sandaime looked at Naruto's disheveled appearance and at once ushered him to the care of Gai-sensei. ("Of course," the Hokage had muttered under his breath, "Orochimaru is much more learned at this kind of stuff than Gai. I miss my weekly manicure, damn it.")

Nothing's better than a close-knit little village.

Now, Naruto arrived in front of the bathhouse in trepidation. He didn't think that grooming would take so much work. Taking a bath usually meant a plunge and a quick wash inside a steaming pool of hot water followed by rough towel-drying. Not anymore. His brain was busy trying to sort the steps Gai-sensei had drilled into his young mind.

_Not enough, not enough! You need to apply a lot of shampoo, massage your scalp in circular, rubbing motions like this, and wash the lather thoroughly. We don't want dandruffs, do we? Tut, tut, Naruto. You're NOT supposed to nod._

_Always use a generous amount of soap. Me? I use one bar each day._

_Ah! The cologne is also important for a gentleman. Never leave home without at least a spray or two. _

_If you want, I can sculpt your eyebrows. I did Lee's. Beautiful, aren't they?_

A shiver ran up to his arm and Naruto had to steady himself. _This is it_, he thought, _a step to adulthood. Anything for the red-head beauty._ He made up his mind and walked inside the bathhouse, trembling. _Anything, I'll do anything._

At this point, not even the Uchiha clan's secret stash of kohl could change his mind.

* * *

Some miles away from the bath house, a teenager was in for a very rude awakening. He stirred in his sleep, feeling something quite heavy on his chest that disturbed the wonderful dream he was having. He opened one sleepy eye and saw a blurry orange image. Realizing what that thing was, he let out a blood-curling shriek. 

"Eeeeeeeeeeeek! Kuwabara, get off me, you dolt!"

Urameshi Yuusuke wasted no time feeling disgusted. He threw his still sleeping friend onto the wall and the building shook when Kuwabara's body made contact with the thin wood. Despite the rough treatment, the psychic kept on snoring, even after he slipped to the tatami floor.

"Dammit, why couldn't it be Kurama? That way I won't feel so…violated," Yuusuke muttered. He shuddered and decided to take a quick wash, since he couldn't possible go back to sleep after what just happened.

In the common bathroom, Yuusuke brushed his teeth, splashed his face with cold water, and started grooming his prided hair. Then he noticed a familiar _ki_ at the door.

"I heard you scream," Hiei said.

"Good morning to you too," Yuusuke mumbled.

"You're not in danger," Hiei said matter-of-factly. He looked the same, as always, wearing a black ensemble of clothing, white scarf, and an ever-ready katana.

"I was in danger of being traumatized for life, thank you very much."

"The idiot?"

Yuusuke sighed and nodded. "Can we exchange rooms? For once, Hiei?"

The reply was instantaneous. "No."

"You creep."

The Jaganshi smirked. Before disappearing, he left Yuusuke with a thought, much to the teenager's chagrin. "Kurama also likes to cuddle, you know."

Yuusuke's hands paused in mid-air.

_Damn._

* * *

One oval mirror reflected back a perfect face, with a perfect complexion and a perfect pair of onyx eyes (which suspiciously looked a bit tired), of one Uchiha Sasuke. He was in the middle of his morning routine, consulting the honest glass of truth for imperfections in his appearance. As always, he found none. 

Well, except for those annoying bags under his eyes. He could not sleep the night before, thinking of one nameless rival whose existence had been confirmed by the decrease in his stack of love letters at the end of the previous day. The horror!

Sasuke gripped the edge of the sink. He needed to find this rival of his. There was absolutely no way he would let some newcomer steal the spotlight, under his very own straight and aristocratic nose!

So far, the most reliable eye witness account he'd gathered came from his teammate, Haruno Sakura. She had gushed about the stranger's appearance — deadly ruby eyes, sleek and muscular body, jet-black hair that defied gravity, and an overall dark, brooding presence. Sasuke had his own interpretation of those descriptions and he was ready to search for that one person.

He was on the hunt.

Get ready, world.

* * *

Naruto stepped outside the bathhouse with a very self-conscious feeling. Instead of his usual orange jumpsuit, he was wearing a form-fitting, black top and a loose pair of khaki pants. He had spent some time yesterday digging through his finer stuffs to come up with the outfit. Kakashi-sensei had generously let his team have a day off, giving Naruto some time to go after his recent crush. 

Besides looking clean, Naruto _felt_ clean. The advice Gai-sensei had hammered into his head worked like magic and the difference was plain to the naked eye. Even without the sparkles, Naruto was a new boy. The passersby who threw him curious glances certainly thought so too, because they could finally see how handsome he really was. Ne?

It didn't occur to Naruto that he had forgotten to zip up his fly.

Until one stammering Hyuuga Hinata pointed that one out to him. She was very close to fainting, but for the love of Naruto, she could not let her crush suffer further embarrassment. Naruto had always thought that Hinata-chan was a good girl. He thanked her profusely, earning him a very sweet view of the blushing girl.

"You should smile more, Hinata-chan," he told her.

"Aa, o-okay, Naruto-kun." She smiled shyly.

"Ano sa, don't you think I look good today?" he asked, oblivious of her turmoil.

She grew even redder. "Y-yes."

"That's because I have a date today!" Naruto exclaimed. "See you around, Hinata-chan!"

Naruto waved to her and left. He didn't notice her crumbling, disappointed features, and marched happily to find the beautiful red-head who occupied his mind.

Left behind, Hinata almost cried.

* * *

Kazuma Kuwabara was being stalked. 

He knew almost immediately that he was being followed by a very curious girl. She was stealthy, oh he gave her that, but she really needed to hide that blinding pink-hair of hers. Being a seasoned fighter, he could sense her from half a mile away without any difficulty. Although, it was a bit disconcerting to know that such a young girl was able to keep up with his pace.

It seemed that most of the population in this village was skilled enough in martial arts. Kuwabara could detect it from the way they walked and moved; he even saw young children play with sharp objects. Of course Koenma had informed them that the village was a gathering of shinobi, trained in silent assassination and infiltration, but being a modern Tokyo thug didn't prepare him for the real thing.

_A village of fighters, eh?_ Kuwabara thought. _Damn that toddler for sending us to such a dangerous place. I wish I were home with Yukina-chan._

Finally, tired playing hide and seek with the girl, he confronted her in a secluded corner of the street. She showed no fear when he loomed menacingly, using his height as advantage.

"What do you want, little girl?" Kuwabara asked in his tough-guy voice.

"Excuse me, sir, I don't mean to bother you," she began in a sweet voice, "but I have a question for you."

Kuwabara sighed. He was weak against anything sweet, especially kittens and innocent girls. It's not a thing to be made public if he still wanted his reputation as a high-school hooligan intact. "Yes?"

"Please, sir. How do you make your hair so full volume like that?"

Kuwabara blinked.

She blinked back.

Thus began Kuwabara's Private Hair Care Lesson.

* * *

Hiei was speeding through the roofs when he sensed something thrown at him. Not fast enough, but it still made him raise his guard. He landed on one rooftop, along with the thrown kunai. Then he saw the culprit, a boy no older than thirteen who had an angry expression on his face. 

"Boy," Hiei snarled, "do you want to die?"

The boy snorted. "Hn."

Hiei couldn't believe what he had just heard. The boy just did an imitation of his 'Hn'! How dare he! His 'Hn' reply belonged to him and him only!

Oh, he so needed to teach that boy who was the better man here. So Hiei said, "Hn."

"Hn?" the boy replied.

"_Hn_," Hiei said smugly.

"Ugh, hn," the boy grumbled.

"Hn, hn," Hiei countered.

"H-hn!" the boy sputtered. "You—!"

"I won, _boy_. You're no match for me," Hiei said.

"It's not over yet!" the boy shouted indignantly. "I challenge you one more time, you fiend!"

"How rude. You attacked me without provocation and now you want to challenge me? Get real. You didn't even introduce yourself."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. What's yours!"

"Hn."

"Okay, Hn! I challenge you to a battle!" Sasuke said.

Hiei eyed the boy. Now he had seen everything life has to offer. Someone more gullible than Kuwabara. Great. But hey, a fight is a fight. And Hiei loved a fight, didn't he?

"Fine," Hiei said.

"Today, at noon, come to the town center. We'll have a battle of life and death. Just you and me!" Sasuke said.

"Very well, you better be prepared." Hiei smirked. Oh, yeah. _Finally the mission is getting interesting,_ Hiei thought. He won't hold back just because the opponent was a little kid.

_A little kid with a deadly aim,_ he reminded himself and glanced at the kunai stuck on the roof. The kid disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Hiei was left to ponder his own thoughts.

_What an interesting place, this village._


End file.
